Member Associations | 13 Apr 2018

Croatia Open: NI Xialian inspired by Zagreb

Photo: Courtesy ITTF

Luxembourg`s player, gold medalist at the 2002 ITTF European Championships, secures her place in the Women`s Singles semi-finals

 

Sixteen years after her gold medal at the 2002 ITTF European Championships, 54-year-old NI Xialian proves that she likes to play in the city of Zagreb, reaching semi-finals of the Women`s Singles event at the 2018 ITTF Challenge Croatia Open. Luxembourg`s player beat two strong opponents today, April 13th, to set up her clash against 2015 European champion Elizabeta Samara. First she beat actual ITTF-Europe Top 16 winner Bernadette SZOCS in straight games, then she overcame Russia`s Polina MIKHAILOVA.

 

Four representatives of Old Continent will play in the Men`s Singles semi-finals, two top seeds from Germany Ricardo WALTHER (no. 1) and Benedikt DUDA (no. 2), France`s Can AKKUZU and Greece`s Panagiotis GIONIS. WALTHER and DUDA beat Mizuki OIKAWA and Kenji MATSUDAIRA respectively in the two Germany-Japan clashes. One of most thrilling matches was one between AKKUZU and Finland`s Benedek OLAH, decided after full seven games.

 

Men`s Singles quarter-finals

 

Ricardo WALTHER (GER) – Mizuki OIKAWA (JPN) 4:1 (11:7, 11:6, 6:11, 11:8, 11:7)

Can AKKUZU (FRA) – Benedek OLAH (FIN) 4:3 (8:11, 11:6, 8:11, 11:8, 9:11, 11:9, 11:9)

Panagiotis GIONIS (GRE) - Mohamed EL-BEIALI (EGY) 4:2 (11:8, 8:11, 9:11, 11:3, 12:10, 11:4)

Benedikt DUDA (GER) – Kenji MATSUDAIRA (JPN) 4:3 (7:11, 7:11, 6:11, 11:6, 11:7, 11:6, 11:6)

 

Women`s Singles quarter-finals

 

Hitomi SATO (JPN) – Maki SHIOMI (JPN) 4:3 (8:11, 11:2, 11:6, 9:11, 11:8, 7:11, 11:8)

Saki SHIBATA (JPN) – Honoka HASHIMOTO (JPN) 4:2 (9:11, 11:9, 11:4, 11:2, 6:11, 11:5)

Elizabeta SAMARA (ROU) – Georgina POTA (HUN) 4:2 (5:11, 11:6, 7:11, 11:7, 14:12, 11:8)

NI Xia Lian (LUX) – Polina MIKHAILOVA (RUS) 4:3 (11:8, 10:12, 11:4, 3:11, 11:7, 10:12, 11:9)

 

Men`s Doubles semi-finals

 

Nandor ECSEKI (HUN) / Adam SZUDI (HUN) - Andrea LANDRIEU (FRA) / Romain LORENTZ (FRA) 3:1 (11:7, 3:11, 11:9, 11:5)

PENG Wang-Wei (TPE) / SUN Chia-Hung (TPE) - Benedikt DUDA (GER) / Ricardo WALTHER (GER) 3:1 (9:11, 11:4, 11:9, 11:6)

 

Women`s Doubles semi-finals

 

Honoka HASHIMOTO (JPN) / Hitomi SATO (JPN) - Barbora BALAZOVA (SVK) / Hana MATELOVA (CZE) 3:0 (11:8, 11:9, 11:8)

Mirela DURAK (CRO) / Mateja JEGER (CRO) - Matilda EKHOLM (SWE) / Georgina POTA (HUN) 3:1 (8:11, 11:2, 11:8, 11:7)

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